Group Teach 1 / Bell Jar Reactions

First of all, I want to mention that both the novel, The Bell Jar, and its author, Sylvia Plath, were excellent choices to have the rest of the class be exposed to. I felt as though the novel immediately showed signs of a great work. For example, when Plath describes Esther Greenwood's unusual thoughts concerning her experience in New York. She should be having the time of her life, but her cynical state of mind requires her to constantly question the status quo and society's expectations. I was hooked because I too have felt the same way Esther feels when in New York here at WMU. While my friends go out and have a good time I usually decide to stay in and study or get my homework done. I do so mainly because I don't have anything to fall back on financially; therefore, I have to succeed in college or I could very well be working at the local fast food joint. I always have thrived academically, and I feel this strong concentration has led me to miss out on several other hobbies or experiences typical adolescents are exposed to. This is exactly what began to fill Esther's, and quite possibly Plath's bell jar. The difference, however, is that these thoughts don't consume my entire thought process, and they don't lead to serious self-doubt or a depressive state, I just accept it and move forward. Not conforming to society's expectations can be a form of self-expression, and I believe it can be positive in many ways. But constantly seeking to resist it altogether can lead to serious pitfalls as in Esther's case.

Additionally, I admire Plath's eloquent use of language, and I find it amazing how she was able to give us a glimpse into Esther's journey into--and possibly out of--psychosis. As she describes her thoughts and suicidal actions in a calm tone, the experiences almost appear as if these thoughts are normal. Not to mention, having been introduced to the life of Sylvia Plath and the autobiographical nature of the book, it makes it that more interesting to read. I have really never read a novel like this one, and I would recommend it to just about anybody seeking a good read.

The group who presented The Bell Jar had some good activities, and some good discussion questions as well. But due to the topic in discussion, and the small number of students we had present, it may have sparked conversation a little more if they used a think-pair-share strategy. This way we could have had a little more time to grapple with the questions before attempting to respond. Other than that, I really liked the activities that dealt with the feminist and psychoanalytic theories. This book is perfect for both of those, and examining the particular scenes and relationships between men and women gave us something other than Ester's craziness to think about. The information on Plath's life was especially useful considering that the novel was semi-autobiographical. As I mentioned before, now knowing that Plath was really suicidal makes me want to reconsider which thoughts in The Bell Jar were her own and which were entirely Esther's. A lot of the ideas the group touched on could have been explored more thoroughly (in a 4-5 week long unit), especially the ideas of 1950s culture and suicide. Moreover, we were planning to use a "write the next chapter" activity for our book The Giver (due to its ambiguous ending; we didn't steal it I promise!), and I like it because it allows students to display some creativity without the fear of being "wrong." I also enjoyed the other reader response activities such as the newspaper article or guided imagery can really get those reluctant readers involved into the exploration of the novel.